2015 Nissan Murano: All about style
The original Nissan Murano, which hit the market several years ago, was first and foremost a styling exercise. Sure, it had some pretty decent specs and capabilities, but it’s the unique silhouette and spectacular front fascia that made a lasting impression.
How could the folks at Nissan possibly stray away from that when developing the third-generation model? They couldn’t. It was just a matter of finding a new interpretation of the “Sculpture in Motion” design language that initially made this crossover famous.
From this point of view, the all-new 2015 Nissan Murano is a complete success. It all starts with a sharper, more aggressive-looking front end that incorporates the brand’s signature V-Motion grille and boomerang-shaped headlights which are naturally available with LEDs. The taillights also use LEDs for crisper lighting and greater durability.
The new Murano’s profile was stretched to make it seem much larger and more commanding. In reality, the wheelbase stays put at 2,790 millimetres, while the overall length is up 80 mm.
That being said, the most striking exterior feature is the unique “floating roof.” Using body-coloured A-pillars and blacked-out rear pillars, designers managed to create the impression that the roof panel floats over the windows. There’s nothing quite like it on the road right now, except maybe at Nissan’s luxury division, Infiniti. As such, people will most certainly not mistake the one-of-a-kind 2015 Murano for any other SUV or crossover.
Step inside and the contrast gets even starker. Here, the company took interior quality and feel to a new level. Highly comfortable, utterly relaxing “Zero Gravity” seats derived from NASA technology eliminate unpleasant backaches on long drives by using perfect seat substructures and ideal foam composition.
Meanwhile, the more modern dashboard gets rid of ill-fitted, hard plastics (I did notice a slight weakness around the centre console, though) and poor ergonomics that seemed to be inspired by Chinese abacuses. It’s all clean and classy now. The large eight-inch display provides all the necessary information and voice commands are user-friendly. This is capped off by a 20% larger panoramic moonroof that creates an open, natural atmosphere.
The new Murano also offers a generous amount of standard features for a midsize crossover and is decidedly aimed at an upscale clientele. In fact, during the media launch, Nissan executives mentioned the Lexus RX as a competitor even though it carries a much bigger price tag.
Mechanically speaking, don’t expect any significant changes. The familiar 3.5L V6 engine returns with 260 horsepower, which is more than enough to ensure lively acceleration. Truth be told, this isn’t a driver’s car. Rather than focusing primarily on performance, the Murano is cool, calm and collected in typical luxury-car fashion.
I have one complaint, however: Nissan’s next-generation Xtronic CVT automatic, while pleasant, lacks paddle shifters on the steering wheel, so you have to use the consolemounted shifter to enjoy some sort of control over it.
What’s more, the 2015 Murano brings back the base FWD model that its predecessor had dropped. Trim levels range from S to Platinum, the latter riding on 20-inch alloy wheels and featuring all manners of electronic safety systems.
Starting at $29,998 and climbing all the way to $43,498 (before taxes and freight), the Murano comes back strong and definitely won’t go unnoticed with head-turning looks and great driving dynamics.
California offers some pretty unique scenery that drivers can appreciate from slick and delightfully twisty roads. Given its size and aspirations, however, the Murano is not particularly well suited to tackle them, at least not like a sporty car would. The suspension is clearly geared toward comfort more than spirited driving. While I applaud the effort, the Murano in fact proves less rewarding on mountain passes and winding backcountry roads.
As my driving partner and I eased off the throttle and started gazing at the lovely vineyards on the side of the road, we effectively became the Murano’s true target – aging drivers whose main concern is comfort rather than excitement.
From that standpoint, the Murano scores big. The substantially quieter cabin helped us fully appreciate the sound of the available Bose audio system, not to mention the magnificence of the panoramas.
Without a doubt, the new 2015 Nissan Murano has evolved in terms of styling, but much more so with regard to its personality. It moves up the ladder and, while a bit less radical than the outgoing model, serves up a much more attractive package overall.